Wednesday, July 25, 2007

"Don't sweat the small stuff!" I tend to believe this is a true statement when it comes to getting along with other people... but NOT when it comes to jazzing up your sales. The details are what separates you from your competitors.

Take the gift I just bought and then returned for my husband's birthday (this birthday ends with a "0"). It was a very nice watch. The jeweler called it a "time piece." Guess that's what expensive watches are called! The salesperson did a great job in helping me select the perfect "time piece" and then proceeded to the back of the store where she gift-wrapped it for me to take home to my husband.

I was excited to give it to my husband until he opened it, saw that the box was torn, the watch manual did not go with the watch inside the box and there was sticky residue from the price tag left on the inside of the watch band. Details! My husband thought the watch was second hand! If only the salesperson had tended to the details... by providing a box that wasn't damaged, providing the correct owner's information and cleaning off the sticker residue.

Here are some details that will help jazz up the sales of your business:

Send handwritten thank you notes thanking people for their business or for the referral they provided.

Think of something creative that will make your customer smile. If you provide bookkeeping services you might slide a post-it note into your client's books that says, "Great month! Keep up the good work!" If you provide a lawn service you might trim a few overgrown bushes for free. We just went to Disney Land and the hotel wash clothes were folded in the shape of different Disney characters.

Proofread everything. People will notice typos and bad grammar. Don't give them a reason to doubt your capabilities.

Know that you cannot always measure the results. Customers may not notice details - but they will notice the LACK OF details. For example, I recently bought a brand new car. When the tags came in I went to the dealership for them to put the license plate on my car. Instead of putting 4 screws in the plate - they saved 45 seconds by only affixing the plate with 2 screws. And it rattled all the way home! As soon as I got home I had to put the 2 additional screws in the plate. DETAILS! This was my final exposure to the dealership - and it wasn't good. Even though I love the car - guess what I will remember about the dealership?!

When a customer calls with a complaint then handle it NOW. Nothing hurts your sales more than an angry customer having even more time to stew over his dissatisfaction. Once you've handled your customer's problem - tell him! Call him back and let him know what you did to resolve the issue. Don't wait for him to find out later that you took care of the issue.

By the way, after I returned my husband's watch I went to another jewelry store and bought the same one! This time the salesperson focused on all of the details!

About Me

Although many people think it's a nickname, my name is really "Zan." I have some great nicknames: Zanadu, Tarzan, Zan Antonio, Zany, Zanzibar & ShaZan! I am a marketing and sales professional who loves the challenge and creativity behind what makes people decide to buy.